Cursed Moments of Trust
by Dreamer from North
Summary: Sesshomaru looses everything from Jaken to his demon powers. He has been cursed and left in his human form. Humans save him and take care of him with motives he never knew humans had. When learning more about humans will he also learn something else?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I still do not own Inu-yasha and co. I do own Shizuka, Arashi, Shima, Senshi and Kurai.  
  
Symbols: "talking", ***new place/time***  
  
Prologue  
  
Naraku has disappeared. No one senses any aura left of him. No one knows where he has gone and only few hints are left behind. Demons who feared the great power of Naraku have dared to come out of their holes to harass mortals.  
  
After Naraku there were four groups, but to keep them busy these lower demons with less power than Naraku interferes their travel. To some of the groups those demons bring more trouble than to the others. Maybe to some they won't bring any kind of interference.  
  
Kikyo goes on her lonely way looking for this great demon so she can one day defeat him while helping people during her travel. Kouga, with his loyal companions, travels forward wanting revenge over his clan. Inu-yasha moves travels with his friends of who everyone has their own reasons for finding this demon.  
  
Then there is this fourth group. . .  
  
Sesshomaru travels with his loyal servant, mount and a human girl he saved. With them he looks for revenge over this feared demon.  
  
In the middle of all the chaos Naraku's disappearance caused, a forest continues its usual life, knowing nothing of Naraku and the chaos outside.  
  
This forest grows in a valley between mountains. No one dares to go there and enter the forest. No mortal dares to challenge the misty forest of legends.  
  
This forest called "Mists" lets people in, but no one out. Stories are told of demons and humans who had entered but never come back. Why had none of them come back? The answer is heard when a shrill scream cuts through the night.  
  
In the Mists lives a demon – feared for his powers in the ground he owns. This forest is his kingdom and anyone who dares to enter has come to face his doom. This demon, Kurai, lives with the flesh of mortals and enjoys killing demons.  
  
One night, in a nearby village, the people woke up, once again, from the shrill scream from down in the valley. The scream tells there is another victim for the demon lurking in the Mists. While the villagers are in their beds their dreams are interrupted by that scream that will ring in their mind for many weeks after.  
  
But what had Kurai now found?  
  
Inside the forest. Among the mists. There stood a tall figure of a man leaning on a tree heavily panting. Despite all the darkness you couldn't overlook all the blood in his long white hair and light colored clothes. The clothes were ripped and ragged his only arm had many cuts.  
  
When the shrill scream was heard again this man quickly turned in the opposite direction moving as fast as he could in his injured state. He moved forward, not seeing the marks he left behind. He felt he was getting weaker with every step, but if he didn't keep going he wouldn't survive.  
  
He had to get out from this misty forest, but the deeper he went the weaker he came and the more it looked the same around him. He had no sense of direction anymore. Did he come from here or there? He didn't know and so all he could do was go forward.  
  
When the scream got nearer he lost his balance. His legs gave out and he fell to the ground panting. His sight was disappearing and when he heard noises before him he couldn't make any sense of them or the dark figures before him.  
  
Soon only blackness surrounded him and the last thing he knew was the damp ground against his body and the smell of earth. . .  
  
A/N: Al right. . . Now I have only five stories of witch one is on hold at least for now. My main work is Tears of a Ghost, but when I get inspiration and time I write the three other stories and if I come up with something I might write another songfic.  
  
This is one of those three other stories and this is a story for my favorite Inu-yasha character, Sesshomaru. This is only a prologue for the story, but I hope I get the first chapter soon.  
  
You'll get explanations to questions like how Sesshomaru could be defeated, where is Rin and Jaken, why doesn't he heal, what about Tenseiga. To all these questions and many more there will come answers so don't worry. ^_^  
  
I know the prologue is short but it's meant to be but the chapter will be a lot longer.  
  
I had a very hard time when trying to come up with a name for this story. I even asked the one who edits my chapter for an opinion. The names I sent to her were stupid I know and the one she suggested was the best one of those, but then I thought about new names and with my sister we agreed that the name I gave to this story was best of all I came up with.  
  
Please R&R and tell me what you like for now.  
  
Ja ne! 


	2. Nightmares

Disclaimer: I still do not own Inu-yasha and co. I do own Shizuka, Arashi, Shima, Senshi and Kurai.  
  
Symbols: "talking", ***new place/time***  
  
Chapter 1 Nightmares  
  
Usually he felt comfortable in darkness. Usually silence made him relax. Usually loneliness was best for him. But now. . .  
  
He stood on damp ground, but when he looked at his feet he saw nothing. He could feel how the earth gave up under him, but he saw nothing. He saw only blackness. He looked up around him seeing only blackness.  
  
He saw nothing; he heard nothing and all he smelled was the damp earth. Moving his hands before him he walked forward. It felt like he would be walking all the time to softer ground, but he didn't stop.  
  
He walked forward until he suddenly heard his own steps. It sounded like he would be walking on trough out wet moss. On every step it sounded wetter and soon when he continued he could hear a splash.  
  
He stopped. It was like he would be standing in a pool. He felt how water started to gather into his shoes and how small waves hit against his ankles. But he didn't see. He saw nothing before him or behind him.  
  
He sensed no one around him. He was alone in this pitch-black place standing in a pool. A lonely wind catch his long hair, but he couldn't see in the darkness his white strands of hair even thought he felt them against his face.  
  
Suddenly small candles catch fire in distance. They were small candles but they lit the whole place. The small candles danced around.  
  
He started to see reflections of the candles on surface of the pool where he was standing. The white strands of hair before his face started to shine like silver. His golden eyes stared at the lights dancing above the water.  
  
From the candles emerged very light smoke into the air. But even thought it was light it was thick as a cloud and slowly but surely it started to cover the air above them.  
  
He, who had felt lonely and uncomfortable, was now lit with the light as well. He was surrounded by the warm light of the candles and his long white hair shone even more like silver and his golden eyes competed with the shining hair.  
  
Slowly the smoke from the candles started to take shape. Surrounded by light the cloud with a shape of woman fell on the pool's surface like it suddenly would have gotten a lot of weight.  
  
In the middle of the candle lights stood a woman with long strands of curly blonde hair. Her sky blue eyes looked deep into him and he tried to get a step back, but something stopped his legs.  
  
The woman whose body was shapeless just a moment ago now landed down from the light surrounding her. The smoke that had landed on the pool's surface surrounded her tall but slender body.  
  
He was paralyzed when staring at the women. His golden eyes stared at her all-knowing blue eyes. When he fell into the beauty of those eyes he didn't realize the fact that this woman before him was a human.  
  
The woman swung her hands strongly and so all the smoke around her fell on the surface of the pool again. Now she had clothes on her - clothes that shone more brightly than his silvery hair or golden eyes.  
  
He couldn't move anywhere when the woman walked toward him holding her hand out for him to grab it. Her first so expressionless face turned into encouraging one with a slight smile.  
  
He, who didn't know where he was, hesitated, but all his hesitation was gone by that smile and so he slowly took her hand. . .  
  
***reality***  
  
"Nothin' yet, Shizuka?" asked a human warrioress when walking into her dark hut. Before the door was a bamboo screen that left the little rays of sun out from the hut.  
  
The hut was dark and split with a curtain in the middle. In the middle of the hut was a fire place. The warrioress took off her sandals when walking on the floor that was higher than the ground. From her back she took her two katanas down on the ground and with a strong pull she freed her red curly hair from a string that held it up.  
  
She turned to look at her left side where one blonde woman with expressionless face sat beside a wounded man. The blonde woman shook her head when looking up at her chief with her blue eyes. Her long curls were wrapped into a band behind her back and she was dressed into a kimono with blue and white colors.  
  
The warrioress sighed and sat beside the other woman staring at the wounded man. Both of the women like the whole village knew that this wounded man was no human. But neither of them sensed any demon powers from this man and thus so their fear was true.  
  
"How long do you think he'll still sleep?" the warrioress asked from the blonde woman.  
  
With his fingers Shizuka showed first two then three and then one finger. After that she added a shrug to it and made the warrioress sight. "So you don't know, huh" the warrioress sighed again.  
  
They had been waiting for five days already for this man to wake up. They had found him from the forest surrounding their small village. He had fallen of tiredness on the ground just when they found him. They knew this demon was one of Kurai's preys.  
  
"Arashi" a man called from the doorway of the hut.  
  
"What is it, Senshi?" the warrioress asked standing up when hearing her name. This man who came to get her was her younger brother. They both had greenish brown eyes, but when Arashi's hair was almost bright red Senshi's was reddish brown and not even wavy.  
  
"The villagers are calling for you, their chief" Senshi said when pointing over his shoulder at all the people outside.  
  
Arashi sighed and nodded. When Senshi left she put her hand on Shizuka's shoulder. "I'll come back when I can" she said silently and the blonde woman nodded.  
  
Shizuka looked after Arashi who took her sandals and weapons before leaving the hut. She sighed and then took a small cloth and put it into a wooden bucket with water. When damping the cloth she placed it on the man's forehead.  
  
She truly didn't know how long it would take before the man would open up his eyes. She was a healer of the village, but she was not someone who made miracles. And she didn't know what would be the best way to help a demon.  
  
She sighed and looked at the doorway hearing the village people to gather outside.  
  
***outside the hut***  
  
"We have been patrolling by day and night, but we haven't found anything" a villager pointed out when Arashi was sitting on the ground before her people leaning on her two katanas. Her brother was standing besides her holding his javelin and her other side was standing a woman with long jet- black hair. She looked more Japanese than any one else of the three of them.  
  
"I don't understand" the black haired woman muttered. "Why would a man... demon, even a demon, come into the Mists with only his robes!?" This woman had grey eyes that calmed some people and others made nervous.  
  
Arashi herself sometime wonders what truly moves in this younger woman's mind. The chieftess stood up swinging her katanas on her shoulder. "Now" she said to get everyone's attention.  
  
"Chieftess! Arashi!!" someone shout from the side interrupting the chieftess. Senshi turned around just like the black haired woman and his sister. There was running one man with three others toward them.  
  
"We found something!" the man that run faster than the others shout having a peace of cloth in his hand.  
  
Arashi stepped past her brother to see the cloth closer when the man stopped right before her. She took the cloth that was bloody. She sniffed it and then handed it to her brother.  
  
"Smell of human... and that man" Senshi said silently after sniffing the cloth as well.  
  
The black haired woman took the cloth from him and sniffed it as well. "Kurai" she whispered and made Arashi turn around to look at them.  
  
The little cloth was white and red, smelled of human and this demon from her hut; it had the smell of Kurai and surely had something to do with their guest.  
  
Suddenly a bell rang just behind them and when they turned around they saw Shizuka ringing a bell that hang outside Arashi's hut. When Shizuka had gotten everyone's attention she stopped and quickly gestured to Arashi. The chieftess should come and see something.  
  
"Is he awake?" Arashi asked under her breath when with out another thought run into her hut.  
  
***dream?***  
  
The man was alone again... All alone. The blonde woman he had seen earlier was gone. He saw only blackness but now he didn't feel damp earth under him. Suddenly everything was lit up. He recognized the place to be a forest.  
  
He knew he had been here earlier. He knew that he didn't want to come here again, but when he looked behind him he was surrounded by the forest.  
  
The air was heavy and misty. You barely could see the trees trough the thick mist. It was silent. All you could here was the usual noises of small animals. That made it too silent, but somehow he knew what he had to fear in here.  
  
He walked forward to find a way out. He walked taking big steps but the further he got the more it seemed like he wasn't moving at all. Not even a single tree was getting nearer.  
  
Out of his nature he was starting to panic. This feeling he had would make anyone fear.  
  
Suddenly he heard a shrilling scream and that made him panic more. He looked around and heard steps. Heavy steps showing that this creature he feared was coming nearer. He had seen him he knew but it felt like this would be the first time.  
  
Suddenly from the middle of the shrilling scream you could hear a girls cry. He didn't think twice when turning to that direction. He tried to run, but something held up his feet. He looked down and the earth was starting to take his legs in.  
  
He tried to get himself free, but the girl's cry made him remember again why he had tried free. He tried to get free again but it was no use. Suddenly the cry stopped and all he could hear the heavy steps again.  
  
After a short moment before him stood a dog-like beast having a human girl in his mouth – dead.  
  
***back***  
  
"RIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!"  
  
Shizuka was surprised by the sudden scream from the man. Arashi was standing beside her having her eyes wide open.  
  
Shizuka put her hands on the man's shoulders trying to find his eyes. The man was breathing heavily holding his only hand on his chest. He didn't look up. He didn't notice Shizuka's warm hands. He only saw Rin bitten by a demon.  
  
Shizuka looked at the man with calm eyes and moved some strands of white hair away from his face. She had called the chieftess here to see him cause he was sweating so much. He had seen nightmares, she knew.  
  
Nightmares are horrible to demons and human. When seeing nightmare – despite how cold and feelingless you are – your biggest fears and the most unwelcome feelings comes to you. Maybe that is why many say they don't dream.  
  
But in truth. . . If you don't dream, you don't have any wishes for future. You have no memories to cherish and you have nothing that would be important to you. Memories, feelings and wishes make our dreams.  
  
This is at least how Shizuka thought when she silently brought the man's head against her chest to calm him down. It didn't matter were you a demon or humans. The fear and feeling was same for both when seeing a nightmare.  
  
Arashi sighed deep when calming herself down. The demon they had in her hut seemed to calm in Shizuka's arms. That was what was so wonderful in this blonde human who's origin is a mystery. Only her presence and wordless care for life made anyone calm. Was it human or demon, it didn't matter.  
  
The aura around Shizuka was calming for both. Her understanding and gentle touch soothed your heart.  
  
Arashi sighed again deep slightly smiling. Now it didn't matter what was this man's origin, why was he here. Now what mattered was his well being and Shizuka seemed to be again the one to take care of that.  
  
Arashi stood up and silently left the hut. When leaving the hut she could hear some muttering from inside. She knew it wasn't their silent healer and so it had to be this man there.  
  
He was getting well. She was sure about that!  
  
A/N: I hope you liked it ^_^ I kinda liked to write it and now when I have been working other stories that Tear of a ghost I have gotten new inspirations.  
  
I also noticed that I first had a wrong name for this story. Somehow 'Cursed moments of Fate' was stuck into my head thought I had decided not to talk about fate but trust. Now it's corrected anyhow. Just don't get confused by it.  
  
See ya! Ja ne! 


	3. Steps Again

Disclaimer: I still do not own Inu-yasha and co. I do own Shizuka, Arashi, Shima, Senshi and Kurai.  
  
Symbols: "talking", ***new place/time***  
  
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Chapter 2 Steps Again  
  
In a small forgotten village inside the mists of a forest that most knew only from legends life continued normally. . . Or. . . Almost.  
  
In the calmness of the village the chieftess' hot tempered brother broke the silence. "Why are you still looking for the human who we scented in the cloth" Senshi demanded from his sister who calmly ate her food outside a hut that was made to be a kitchen for all of them. She was sitting on a tree stump and was having a wooden plate on her lap.  
  
"It's been two weeks since then" Senshi roared at his sister who didn't pay attention. "There is no way the human is alive - if there ever was a human!" He often was the one who lead the hunting and searching parties into the mists even at the risk of meeting up with Kurai.  
  
He however was trained from a little kid to move in the mists with Kurai just like Arashi. Both of them had always lived here. They have never seen the world outside and in truth neither one of them cared after hearing of the outside world from people who had survived from Kurai's grasp and gotten here.  
  
Arashi finished her food silently not even glancing at her brother. She put down the plate where she had the food on ground beside her feet wiping her mouth with her long sleeve. Then she stood up from the stump that had served as her seat.  
  
She was like that, standing calmly and looking down, for a moment suddenly turning her greenish brown eyes straight at her brother. Her eyes were very narrow and her thick black brows were making her eyes dangerously warning.  
  
Her brother knew that he had gone too far in questioning her this time. Her eyes and tightened mouth on her face framed by red curly hair were signs enough to shut Senshi's mouth. "Remember your place brother" she growled from between her teeth and then turning around her red hair swinging after.  
  
Senshi stood there still like a rock for a long moment having a scowl on his face and not showing any fear, but the people in the kitchen-hut saw how the warrior relaxed after his sister was gone. Everyone knew just like Senshi that fearing Arashi's anger would keep you alive.  
  
"Senshi" said a cold voice from behind him. That voice surprised him, but then he turned around having a smile on his face. He knew who the caller was. It was Shima, the Lady of the Mists. In his eyes this woman was more than a beauty. She was goddess brought for him from heaven. Her dark straight hair that more often was free than tied up framed her beautiful narrow face where those big grey eyes framed with black eyelashes shone at him. . . Or more like in his fantasy. . .  
  
Those grey eyes didn't shine on him or anyone else. They were cold as rock and there was still no one who had gotten deeper into them and to know her better. His beautiful Shima was so far away from his grasp that it hurt him.  
  
"Cut that grin of your face or I'll be cutting your lecherous tongue" Shima hissed poisonously at him. He knew that she knew what was on his mind but to call him lecherous.  
  
"You-"Senshi was about to curse her very being despite all the affection he had for her when hearing her to mock him.  
  
"Before you start that entire cursing-you-for-the-rest-of-your-life thing come pack to earth, jerk" Shima said pointing her long nailed finger between his eyes and looking at him with narrowed stony eyes.  
  
"I haven't seen you warriors in action for ages" she said bringing her pale face right before his. "Get them in action!" The order was clear and hissed trough teeth and its poison wasn't unnoticed.  
  
These were the times Senshi hoped that his father would have made him the chief, but it was Arashi, his older sister, who got to be a chief and it seemed like everyone else knew why, but not him.  
  
"I hear you" he said bitterly and Shima stepped back. He turned around to go and give his orders to the warriors. He had a good position in the village but there were these two females above him – Arashi and Shima. That made him disgusted but he could do nothing about it. Both of the females had their positions rightfully by skill and will.  
  
***Arashi's hut***  
  
Arashi mumbled curses all the way to her hut after leaving her brother. How dared he question her orders? She was the chief here not him. It was their father's decision to make her the chief. Senshi could never have been one. He wasn't able to get so much on his shoulders to take care of and Arashi even doubted his ability as leading the warriors.  
  
When she arrived to her hut she sighed. Then she moved the bamboo screen to get in. she put her sandals aside and took her to swords away from her waist and put them leaning against the wall. She stretched her back and wasn't wondering the silence in her hut cause their demon-patient had been more silent lately.  
  
Before heading behind the curtain that split the room in two she turned to look at their patient. With the curtain when Shizuka decided to live with her they split the room into two rooms for both of them. Shizuka had more room cause she needed room for possible patients like this demon now.  
  
Arashi's eyes widened slightly but then her face softened when she noticed the white haired demon still laying on the bed and she saw right beside her the blonde girl. The warrioress smiled softly to the two of them.  
  
Shizuka calmed people who saw nightmares with her presence and when laying beside the demon having her other arm wrapped around the man she surely did calm the spirit of the demon.  
  
Arashi tried carefully to get to her side of the curtain, but then she heard moving. She turned behind to look who it was.  
  
Shizuka rolled around looking at with her big cute blue eyes at Arashi from under her golden curls. Like usually she didn't smile – she had never any expression on her face, only that dreamy look – but Arashi knew that the healer was tired.  
  
"Just sleep" the chieftess said and then went behind the curtain.  
  
***one morning***  
  
"I'm pretty sure already that there is nothing left of the human but that cloth" Shima explained to Arashi who was sitting lazily under a tree. The black haired female was standing straight in a dark kimono that made her remind of a raven.  
  
Shima was usually clothed in dark garbs and her black hair and long eyelashes didn't help it at all. From far away she looked like a vampire with her pale skin. "Kurai has taken care of him already. Just accept it!"  
  
Shima was maybe the only one with whom Arashi could hold back her temper. Maybe cause with Shima it didn't help at all if you shout or threatened. The younger female was anyway the one who had to face Kurai alone in the demons forest when no one else could. Her ability to resist Kurai made her highly respected and the Lady of the Mists. She was also one of those of whom people weren't real sure were she just normal mortal or not, but her ability was important to them.  
  
Arashi sat up from her lazy position thoughtfully and her eyes wandered to her hut. She sighed thoughtfully. She knew that Shima was right, but for some reason she wasn't that convinced herself about it. "Stop the search for now" she said silently not even bothering to look up. "We'll think about it again when our guest is healed enough."  
  
Shima looked at the chieftess who was actually rarely so worried of someone attacked by Kurai and more so about someone of who they have only gotten a cloth as a sign. she could only wonder was there something in this demon that moved Arashi's heart that was usually closed to everyone as self protection.  
  
That was after the chieftess was heavily betrayed and the betrayer was eaten by Kurai cause of Arashi's temper. Shima looked after the chieftess and then turned to leave also.  
  
Arashi was thoughtful all the way she was walking toward her hut. Then her eyes shot up when she heard the bamboo screen to move. Then they widened when she saw this white haired demon standing – almost at least – leaning on Shizuka for help.  
  
Shizuka moved her head so that Arashi knew to move away. Then the healer helped the demon down on a bench that was outside the hut beside a wall. Shizuka sat down beside the man when Arashi sat down on the ground in front of them.  
  
The man was holding his head down his white long strands of hair falling on both sides of his head. The chieftess could immediately tell that this man's thoughts weren't that clear yet. The man however had already started to react to certain things. He didn't let Arashi touch him at all but Shizuka could be around him all the time – holding him – and he didn't mind.  
  
"Has he talked yet?" Arashi asked Shizuka turning for the blonde female. The healer shook her head. The chieftess sighed. Then she turned for the man.  
  
"Do you remember your name?" she asked softly from the man.  
  
The man lifted his head slightly looking at her with tired golden eyes, but even thought of the tiredness there was no feelings or emotions on his face. the two of them stared each other for long with out a word when silent Shizuka moved the white long hair away from the man's eyes and started to frap it into a braid so it would be more easy to keep away from his face.  
  
"Arashi!!" someone shout from behind and the stubborn chieftess had to break the eye contact with the man. There was one of the warriors running toward her with a wooden staff in his hands. Arashi stood up to see the staff but even before the warrior had reached to them the tall white haired man had walked past her with no problems.  
  
The warrior with the staff in his hands was surprised by the tall demon coming toward him and reaching for the staff. The warrior gave it to him willingly thinking it might have been the demons thought it's quite small to him.  
  
Suddenly the tall demon's strength gave up and he fell on the ground on his knees. Arashi was about to go to the man but Shizuka stopped her knowing that the man wouldn't let the chieftess touch him.  
  
The mute healer put his hands on the man's back trying to find his face to see any expression at all, but he was as expressionless as she was. The man just stared at the staff with two faces. With this he had opened his father's grave months ago. And it belonged to his loyal servant.  
  
Arashi looked at the man knowing that he'll heal sooner that he thought. He couldn't be in very bad condition after walking so well just now. Maybe the only problem was fuzzy memory and thoughts as well lack of strength.  
  
She motioned for the warrior to go. She would later ask the man where he found the staff but not now. "I'll need you name eventually, but for now you are our guest-with-out-a-name" she said and then went into her hut knowing that the golden eyes were following her there.  
  
Shizuka helped the man back to the bench. The man didn't loosen his grip of the staff. What had happened? Why was he with these human? There were many questions that needed to be answered. He sighed and then felt how Shizuka's calming aura surrounded him when the woman laid her head on his back and arms around him.  
  
***days later***  
  
Shizuka was doing some food when her patient was sitting on his bed leaning on the wall letting his gaze wander on the staff leaning on the wall. Shizuka knew that they would need to show the cloth someday, but on the moment Shima had it and she wasn't yet ready to give it back.  
  
After a moment the silent healer filled a wooden cup with the soup she was making and handed it to the demon behind her. She turned for him. The man took the cup like every other time, but this time he couldn't just sip the soup when Senshi suddenly stumped in from the bamboo door.  
  
"Now tell you name, curse it!" the warrior shout at the demon. "The whole village has been in chaos since you arrived. Nothing is like it used to be!" He pointed at the taller man and looked with narrowed eyes.  
  
Shizuka did no motion to stop it. She knew Senshi's temper and not only that. The demon should take care of this himself even thought he's still was not fully recovered.  
  
"Get you butt up and start to do something like answering questions!" Senshi's face was turning red and the demon's expressionless face helped nothing in this.  
  
The demon was still and did nothing. If he would be his usual self he would go at the guy and kill him but there was a lot on his mind now. Shizuka noticed this and decided it was time for her to do something here.  
  
She stood up and put her arms on Senshi's shoulder to calm him down. The warrior calmed down and Shizuka firmly pushed the man out from the hut. Then she came right beside the demon and motioned for him to drink the soup.  
  
The demon did when Shizuka smoothed the man's cheek with two streaks. He didn't mind it cause his presence was calming and the nightmares he kept seeing didn't come when she was around.  
  
Shizuka reached for the soup to fill a cub for herself when she suddenly hear. . . "Sesshomaru" She turned around to look at the demon in wonder. He hadn't been talking even a single word since he had been taken here.  
  
The healer and the demon looked at each other eyes for a long while. She understood. To him she had deserved to hear his name. Expressionlessly she bowed her head respectfully.  
  
Sesshomaru said nothing more when she sipped the rest of her soup.  
  
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A/N: Took some time to update this story as well. I wrote this last night, but now after this A/N I gotta write a school thing on Swedish. ^^'  
  
Anyway. . .  
  
Sesshomaru is so far a bit of OOC cause his thoughts are very fuzzy now. He's healing quicker than human but slower than demon. It will take quite a long time for him to heal, but that's the main thing in the story so far.  
  
But it's not all ^_~  
  
There will be an appearance from Inu-yasha and his friends and we'll find out what actually happened to Sesshomaru, but we are not at it yet.  
  
I still don't have many readers for this story, but I hope to get more but still I'm very happy for the reviews I got so far ^_^  
  
Very big thanks to KougasMyMan and Anime Crazy Girl!!!  
  
I hope you like this chapter ^_^  
  
Now I have to stop writing this A/N so I can do my school works before it's too late *smirk*  
  
See ya! 


	4. The Call You Longed to Hear

Disclaimer: I still do not own Inu-yasha and co.

I do own Shizuka, Arashi, Shima, Senshi and Kurai.

Symbols: "talking", ¤¤¤new place/time¤¤¤

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Chapter 3

The call you longed to hear

Days passed and slowly the demon body loosed it stiffness and got its strength back. However the mind of the demon in question was still having its dark spots like something important was forgotten. He remembered a shrilling scream, pain and those nightmares he saw, but that was all he could remember of his time in the forest. He didn't remember why he had been there or what happened. . .

Senshi had left his chosen weapon – an iron javelin with a symbol of courage on its end – beside a tree when he had picked up two katanas just like his sister. As the leading warrior of the village he had to know how to use other weapons than only his javelin.

He had his greenish eyes fixed on his sister who moved her katanas with more grace than he would be ever able to do. But it was true that his older sister was more experienced with katanas and kendo.

Her moves with the two katanas were beautiful to watch on even when your mind wasn't working too well. Sesshomaru was sitting a bench before the food storage which was right beside the hut working as a kitchen.

He was watching on the training Senshi and Arashi went trough. He as well Arashi knew that the woman was the better one of the two. They started their training from slow motion fastening it by every hit.

Always when the other one brought a katana to other one's neck or belly would they stop, bow and start over again. This had gone by for some hours, but it was enjoyable to watch on when you had food and something to drink before you.

But the siblings weren't the only ones training on the moment. All the warriors and youths of the village who had nothing important to do used the time to train. It was only Senshi and Arashi and some other more experienced warriors who used real katanas rather than wooden sword. But when doing so, you had to have perfect collaboration with your partner.

Arashi and Senshi did have that, after all they had been training together since kids. That wasn't left unnoticed by Sesshomaru either. He did notice the perfect combination of their moves even thought Arashi was the entire time one step ahead in reading his moves. However it could be different if Senshi used his javelin.

Sesshomaru took his wooden cub in which he had water. Usually he wouldn't eat human food, but in his current situation with out his quick healing ability he was making exceptions with more than one thing.

Shima walked toward him and when he noticed her intentions of sitting down beside him he glared at him, but kept his growl inside. He had no interest to be too near the humans thought Shizuka was an exception.

Shima did notice his glare that would have maybe stopped someone else, but that glare didn't have too much effect on her. With out a word or paying attention to their guest she sat beside him having a wooden plate full of fruits which some warriors had collected from the woods.

Sesshomaru had in the beginning no intention to look at the woman beside him, but then he still turned to look at her just to get a better picture of her. She was so much different than many others here even thought the black hair was here common just like it should be.

This woman however gave the idea of a vampire from those horror stories parents told their kids and in which some even believed in. He was however sure that no garlic would make her run away. Not at least when there was one on her plate to begin with.

She was dressed like the other times he had seen her in perfectly black kimono. It would be interesting to know what this woman's past held.

When realizing that his thoughts were those of a curious person Sesshomaru looked away and fixed his eyes on the training pairs again. These people around him were only humans – weaker and lower than he was. He shouldn't show any interest for them.

Some more hours passed. Shima had finished her fruits and other stuff on her plate and had just silently watched on the training. So was Sesshomaru, but his reason to still stay there was that he didn't know where else to go now when Shizuka wasn't around.

Some of the training pairs already finished and went for food or just relaxed under a tree or something. With a bow to each other also Senshi and Arashi ended their training. They collected their katanas quickly with experience of doing it.

Senshi went of to take care of the rest of the work left for him for the day. He collected a small group of warriors and soon disappeared behind some hut at the other side of the opening where the village was based on.

Arashi in another hand walked toward Sesshomaru and Shima wiping her forehead with her sleeve. She reached for a cup which was near Shima and sipped some fresh water.

Sesshomaru hasn't really paid any attention on this woman either even thought he was living on the moment in her hut. Now looking up at her he watched on her curly red hair to be like glued against her neck. Her dressing was that of a samurai with out armour.

"You haven't been too calm lately, chieftess" Shima pointed out with her emotionless voice. She didn't even bother to look at Arashi when saying that. She had her eyes fixed on somewhere a lot further away.

Arashi hmphed and put the cup down. "Is it that obvious?" she asked scratching the back of her head moving her weight to one leg.

"His situation troubles you doesn't it?" Shima asked calmly not even bothering to look either Sesshomaru or Arashi.

Arashi looked up from Shima at Sesshomaru but their eyes didn't meat cause Sesshomaru looked elsewhere.

"Well. . . I soon need to join the group into the forest" Shima said standing up collecting her wooden plate. "We'll see if we find something." Then she left Sesshomaru and Arashi together.

Arashi emptied her cub by drinking the rest of the water in it. He was long silent moving her katanas on her back where they belonged. Then he collected his cup as well Sesshomaru's dishes. She took them to the kitchen-hut before she returned.

Sesshomaru had paid no attention on her when she took his plate and cup. He was fine with it. Serving was all humans were good for! He didn't even turn to look at the chieftess who sat beside him on the bench.

"Guest-with-out-a-name. . ." she began using the calling name she had promised to use until he would tell his name. He turned to look at her with those uncaring eyes. She had planned on asking what he remembered or anything like that, but in the end she didn't. "You know how to use a katana?" she asked tilting her head to the side slightly.

Sesshomaru was slightly surprised, but didn't show that on his expression. Arashi had been asking his name and other stuff for many times by now, but he hadn't opened his mouth even ones to her. However her question was something he hadn't expected.

He first just stared at her trying to read what was on her mind, but it was no use. She just kept her nothing telling expression which was almost challenging. When her lips slightly curved into a smile he stood up.

She smiled wider and gave the other one of her katanas to him. Sesshomaru looked at the katana with wonder. Would she risk to train with a person who she didn't even know and with real katanas.

He took the sword with a hint of wonder in his eyes. She let that be and went further away and took her other katana. The demon had only one hand and so he was able to use only one katana, but she had both hand, but she would use only one katana to little level the scales.

Both of them stepped back from each other and turned to face each other. Arashi bowed down and Sesshomaru only stared at her. Noticing that he won't bow she stood up and got ready for the match.

Sesshomaru moved his hand and moved his legs a lot before either on of them made a move at each other. He did that to get most of the stiffness of his body away. When she noticed that he would be ready for him she came straight at him.

Sesshomaru sighed and tried to dodge it only to get a small score into the sleeve of his shirt. He turned to look at his sleeve like it would be a miracle, but actually it was. Usually he was a lot faster!

Arashi held back her next attack to let the demon to come in terms with what happened. Sesshomaru stared at his sleeve and slowly realized that he hadn't lost only his quick healing power but also his incredible speed.

When he looked back at Arashi he knew she had come easily at him letting him dodge the attack. If she wouldn't have done that he would now be injured. Taking a deep breath he readied himself for the next attack.

He didn't need to wait for it cause Arashi came straight at him again. This time knowing he had to improvise now with out his usual powers, he dodged the attack with the blade of the katana. The strength of the attack wasn't much and he noticed that.

Quickly he however tried for an attack himself, but that was easily dodged by Arashi who was now in better position than him.

If he just would be in his full demon power she would be dead by now. He would even be killing all the villagers just for the fun of it, but now doing something like that meant death.

He however soon forgot that when the speed of their match fastened and both of them dodged, attacked and got slight scratches. Sesshomaru got a better hold of his moves the more he fought. The need for getting his demon powers soon was forgotten it was replaced by something familiar.

Arashi saw a slight grin on the demons face and knew she had reached the point she believed she would by doing this. However, she didn't know how much to trust this demon.

Sesshomaru felt that familiar need of demons – the need to taste the blood and thrill to kill. It was good to feel something familiar after so long. Soon he forgot who he was fighting against. Now he saw only a simple human to fill that need.

Shizuka carried water in two wooden buckets toward Arashi's hut. She went inside and landed the buckets beside the door. First she would find her patient. She stepped out from the hut seeing Senshi and Shima collecting some warriors for the tip into the forest.

The trip would take over night. Shizuka didn't know thought were they looking for something special or just making one of those trips they did ones in a while to make sure there very no more victims of Kurai.

She looked at them for a shot moment and then went toward the kitchen-hut. From there she herd clashes of two katanas. She lifted her gaze from the ground to the direction she was going to and saw Arashi fighting with Sesshomaru.

Her eyes widened cause she didn't know was it serious or not, but in any way it could become very serious. She run toward the kitchen-hut lifting the hem of her light colored kimono.

Arashi notice how the attacks the demon made were getting stronger by every try. It wasn't only his mind anymore that moved him but also his senses. She narrowed her eyes slightly trying to catch up again with his rhythm of fighting.

Sesshomaru attacked, dodged, but the scratches he got became rarer and rarer by every passing minute. His senses were moving him and maybe it was only cause he wasn't wholly healed yet or the feeling was just to familiar not to let to take the control.

Then suddenly he knew the fight was his. With that slight grin on his face he began his final attack for the human's neck. He put all his strength behind that one.

But he wasn't ready for the thoughts that in those mere seconds came into his mind. . .

Weren't it humans who helped you out? Weren't it humans who were concerned of your health and tried to do more than they could for you? Why are you now killing a human? Who are you killing? Is this how you return trust?

Suddenly just inches before Arashi's neck he realized it was her. He stopped the katana just in time before he hurt her. His expression was that of a confused one but he still managed to realize that Arashi had her sword ready to dodge just in time.

It all happened in few seconds but he noticed a wide grin Arashi's face. It would have been luck if he would have been able to kill Arashi, but he truly didn't understand why he hadn't ended the blow.

He looked down on the ground and backed up. Then with out looking at Arashi he gave the katana he had back to her.

Shizuka was at ease when she saw that the fight didn't end to bloodshed. She also knew enough of fighting to realize that Sesshomaru had of his own free will chosen not the end the attack.

When she finally arrived to Arashi she saw Sesshomaru to walk away. She could only imagine what would be moving in his mind now.

¤¤¤in the forest¤¤¤

Senshi walked in the front of the group of five warriors and Shima in addition of him. He had his long javelin on his back when he walked it the area which was dangerous enough with out Kurai. The whole place was big swamp, but there went some safe paths trough it which Senshi knew well.

The group's main course now was to find some animals which might have come to this place. If there was some wild animals usable for food they just needed to hope that Kurai wouldn't find them first.

Shima had told the other that Kurai was nowhere near this part of the forest. That would at least keep them safe for now. They moved in a line trough the swamps on the thin path. They were silent to not attract Kurai at them.

Suddenly one of the warriors stopped making the two behind him stop. He slapped quickly the one in front of him and motioned him to stop. He slapped the next one and so on until also Senshi stopped.

The warrior who had first stopped and had his long black hair in one braid pointed to their left side. All of them turned to that direction and they saw a colourful shoe just beside a tree in the swamp.

The warriors looked at each other until they decided that the oldest of them with grey short hair would go and get it. They wrapped a roped they had with them like always around his waist before he would try to find a safe way to the shoe.

The old warrior took deep breath when he started to walk slowly trough the swamp toward the shoe. He tried to find solid ground to step on the whole way to the shoe. If he still would step into bog hole and sink the other warriors would pull him back the best they could.

When he reached the shoe no one relaxed yet. They knew that returning to them would be dangerous as well. The old warrior tried to follow the path he had used and so he reached the other only slipping slightly to wet his other shoe thought.

He gave the colorful shoe to Shima. Shima took the shoe and sniffed it. Senshi grabbed it before she could stop him and sniffed it. "Our demon guest" he said silently to the others and giving a questioning look to Shima.

"What?" she demanded silently. "Are you trying to tell me demons can't use shoes?!"

Senshi backed and turned around with out a word and threw the shoe to the warriors. One of them put it on a bag on his back.

They continued their walk trough the swamp until they were past it. There they stopped for a moment to decide where to go. The forest was huge and not even they knew every part of it unlike Kurai.

Senshi and Shima looked around until they decided on their own which way to go. They pointed to the directions they had decided and made the warriors confused.

"So. . . Where are we going?" the old warrior dared to ask silently.

Shima and Senshi looked behind them at the warriors not understanding. Then they looked at each other realizing that they were pointing into different directions. Both of them narrowed their eyes.

They were silent for a moment until Senshi gave up. Shima was satisfied and went to the direction she had decided. The warriors followed him and Senshi came after them. "How could I resist those eyes" he muttered to himself for comfort.

One of the younger warriors leaned for the one beside him and whispered "He's the only one who can't resist eyes of an ice-queen." The one beside him smiled and looked that.

"That's what it is when you suffer of one-sided love" the other warrior told the younger one by winking his eye.

Senshi narrowed his eyes when hearing their whispers. He came quickly behind them and wrapped his arms around their shoulder. "And what are you talking about me?" he demanded looking at both of them dangerously.

¤¤¤next day¤¤¤

Shima yawned and stretched her back. How she hated night out in the forest! They had nothing to make their sleep any comfortable. You had two kind of beds of which to choose. One was that of a dry branch high up in the tree or one on the damp ground.

This time Shima had chosen the damp bed which she usually avoids. It's pretty cold to sleep over night on the ground. Beside her only the oldest warrior had chosen the damp bed and now was slowly opening his eyes beside another tree.

When getting up moving her hands and legs Shima looked up into the trees to locate Senshi. Like always he was in the same tree she had chosen. This time she just wasn't high up on a branch but at the ground beside it.

Shima shook her head and then looked for a stone. She picked it up and threw it at Senshi on the branch. He woke up quickly and forgetting that he was up in a tree he rolled too much to the left.

However he realized it just in time to grab a hold of the branch and avoid falling all the way to the ground.

Shima only shook her head and nodded to the old warrior who finally stood up. Then she looked for the other warriors of who three were already waking up, but the last one needed to woken up by the old warrior.

Soon however even Senshi managed to get down on the ground around her to hear her instructions. "We haven't yet found any animals" she explained silently with her cold voice. "We need to get nearer Kurai so we might find something."

None of them liked of the thought but everyone nodded. They wouldn't protest and after all Kurai had already become so big part of their life that it wasn't strange to get this kind of orders.

Soon they were on the move again and Senshi took the lead like usually. They walked trough the driest parts of the wood just enter an area which had been a swamp years ago. It was almost dry, but there could still be lurking bog holes.

They moved carefully trough the old swamp not too far way from each other when they all suddenly froze. They heard that chilling scream that every living creature hated.

"He's coming right at us" Shima said coldly, but the others could notice some worry in here voice.

The warriors moved restlessly waiting for orders. Senshi took his javelin being ready to face Kurai like many times before.

Shima who knew Kurai best of them all listened on the screams the demon was making. "Climb into the trees!" she ordered quickly but keeping her voice silent.

The others followed the orders quickly and when the others were in the trees Shima finally climbed up. She wasn't sure would Kurai come all the way to the place where they were or would he change the direction soon.

All she know was that that scream was it's hunting scream with which he tried to stop his victims.

The seven of them listened carefully the sound they heard and hoped that Kurai wouldn't come all the way to them. Suddenly the screams disappeared and the only sound they could hear was that of Kurai going further away from them.

Shima sighed but then she suddenly heard another voices. Senshi was quicker thought and gave orders to the warriors. "Take your bows" he told them and then looked into the mists of the forest. "Shoot down as many as you can."

That was the final order before herd of caribous run toward them and right under the trees where they were. There were seven or eight of them and it was likely that Kurai had cached some of them.

The warriors shot three of them down dead and one was only slowed down. When noticing that Senshi went down followed by others and quickly finished the kill not wanting make the caribou suffer any longer.

"What a lucky day for us and Kurai" one of the warriors pointed out smiling.

"Yes it was" Shima said absent mindedly.

The warriors tied up the legs of the caribous and lifted them on their back. These were of a small caribou race, thought they weighted more than was likely.

They headed back for the village this time avoiding the big swamp. They walked forward in the mists. They could be satisfied with their hunt today. They had something good to bring home.

They had almost reached the opening where the village was when Senshi suddenly heard a very weak sound. With out saying anything he went after that sound.

Shima looked after him for a while and then sighing he motioned for the others to follow her back to the village.

¤¤¤In the village¤¤¤

Sesshomaru was sitting under a tree on the shadowy side on this sunny day. He had the small two-headed staff in his hand. He looked at the face of a woman and the face of a man – which certainly wasn't very handsome one.

Sighing he leaned heavily on the tree. Jaken. . . It was the name of the small demon serving him. He could remember him. He was all the time following him around and more often was more of a trouble than help. However Jaken had admired him a lot.

He sighed again closing his eyes. If he just could remember what had happened to the little demon.

He opened his eyes again just to see Arashi standing in front of him. "Could you finally tell your name?" she asked calmly having her hand on her hips and leaning forward. "I'm getting tired of calling you the guest-with-out-a-name."

Sesshomaru looked down. This was the first time he was face to face with Arashi since their match. He looked up at her again. "The name is Sesshomaru" he told her hoping that she would go away.

Her eyes widened slightly but soon a smile appeared on her face. It was the first words he had spoken to her. "Sesshomaru, eh?" She kneeled down in front of her looking straight into his golden eyes.

"What kind of demon are you?" she asked still having that smile on her face.

Sesshomaru stared at her long and then stood up. "I told you enough for today" he told her and walked away.

Arashi sighed. Usually she would be boiling by now, but something in this demon didn't let her get angry at him. She narrowed her eyes at that thought. It was strange a feeling.

"Papa! Papa!" a kid shout running right past Sesshomaru. He stopped and looked to the direction where the boy was running. There he saw this vampire-girl with five warriors returning from the forest. It seems they had a good hunt.

He noticed that Arashi run quickly to the returning hunter. She seemed to be angry or worried and talking to Shima. Shima had only pointed back at the forest, but they were too far for Sesshomaru to hear.

Shizuka came behind Sesshomaru laying a hand on his shoulder. She was a tall woman thought not as tall as he was of course. She smiled to him when he glanced at her.

Then he lifted the staff up again clenching his hand around it. He wished he could remember. He sat before Arashi's hut on the bench there. Shizuka left him there and went inside.

Sesshomaru sighed just when one the warrior with the long braid came to him. He looked up at the warrior and saw his shoe in his hands. "We found this" the warrior told. "Yours?"

Sesshomaru looked into the warriors eyes before snatching the shoe from the warrior. The warrior smiled and then went to his girlfriend. . . or wife. . . or what ever she was!

The demon only glanced behind him when he went away with the woman maybe telling what had happened during the hunt.

What a surprise to get your shoe back after you have been attacked by some creature you know nothing or and being treated as one of them by humans. Shoe would now least of all interest him as well. It wouldn't tell anything of Jaken, Toukijin or. . . Rin. . .

He threw the shoe on the ground between his legs and collected the staff he had dropped when he snatched his shoe from the warrior.

While he was staring at the staff again Shizuka came out from the hut bringing a hot bowl of soup in her hands. She offered it to Sesshomaru who first only glanced at her. Then he put the staff beside him on the bench and took the offered bowl with his only hand.

Shizuka smiled and sat down beside the staff. She looked at him sipping the soup she had made for him and her as well Arashi when she just comes back to the hut.

Suddenly there came some shouts from the other side of the village but Sesshomaru didn't pay attention to those when sipping his soup. Shizuka did turn, but cause of his muteness said nothing. It didn't seem important either cause she wasn't trying to catch his attention.

He heard someone walking nearer, but after smelling that it was Senshi he didn't bother to look when he finished his soup. He put the bowl down between his feet.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

His eyes widened when hearing that and slowly he turned to look at Senshi. . .

¤¤¤¤

A/N: Here is a cliffhanger for you all. evil laughter

I'm just in the mood of making you suffer! Well. . . No, that's not it. It's just fun to write cliffhangers. That's the truth why.

It's a long chapter with more thoughts than action, but the beginning is more of thoughts an feelings. The ending has some action.

This won't a too long story thought. Not like Tear of a Ghost which has 27 chapters. This story will have at most 20 chapters I think.

There isn't that much to tell in this story to make it any longer. Well it also depends on my mood will I suddenly have short chapters in between. Oh well. . .

There aren't too many people reading this story but those who have; I'm very sorry that I haven't updated in a long, long while.

I'm sorry for that my time was used for other things and had somewhat also lost my inspiration to write during summer. I was also working and not too much and home either. I was also babysitting a boy with my brother so my summer was that.

Now when I'm at school I would have more time to write if I wouldn't also be working and doing that also on every other weekend. So after coming home from work I'm tired and I usually have no inspiration to do anything but relax and be and sleep after that.

So I won't promise anything when the next chapter will be written.

Big thanks to the two reviewers of the previous chapter; sesshomaru's fluff is mine and Sanosa.

I hope you still like the story and will like it trough out it

And see ya next time and when that will bee. . . I do not dare to promise anything.


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